Hearts Never Lie
by MiraculousDragonMaster
Summary: Secret monthly meetings between Kion and Jasiri eventually led to their friendship becoming something much more. But when there was a secret plan to get rid of Kion, with him being his worst fear by day, their powerful bond of everlasting love must be made known to their lands and to each other if he is to come home. Pre- Battle for the Pride Lands. Swan Princess AU!
1. Prologue

Hearts Never Lie

**A/N: Okay, I know that the final episodes of Season 3 of the Lion Guard really threw off my ship and somehow sunk it. But before I could go into a super deep depression about that, I remembered something about my stories that I have and planned to share.**

**1\. "Love Beyond Reasons" tells my version about what happened if Kion didn't leave the Pride Lands. If he didn't leave, then he wouldn't have gone to the Tree of Life.**

**2\. This story will have a sequel about Jasiri joining the Guard to the Tree of Life. So if Kion already had someone special, then I might put a little bit of tension.**

**3\. One of my stories is an Aladdin AU. So there would be a magical being that could help a lovesick animal be with the one she loves, even if it means pretending to be someone else.**

**So I'm diving down and bringing my ship back up and make her sail again. And I plan to do so with this story. Now, I have nothing against Rani, she seems really cool. But Kion and Jasiri will be my OTP. Besides, I've read some other stories that don't have the canon ship, so why let my ship sink?**

**Now, let's get on with the really short prologue of my new story. And action!**

Prologue

Many have heard this story before, but for those who don't, let's quickly recap it.

Deep within the wildlands of Africa, there was a large area of savannah grassland that the animals called the Pride Lands. It acted like a kingdom, with the apex predators, the lions, as the monarchy. But no matter what the species, all of them lived by the delicate worldly balance called the Circle of Life. Everything is connected, and everything is treated equally, despite the functions of nature, like predators and prey.

But of course, there are some of those who don't respect the Circle of Life, taking more than their fair share and killing for either power or for the sheer "fun" of it. And it can throw everything in disarray and chaos, even bring the entire kingdom to its knees.

The biggest and most prime example was back when the former King of the Pride Lands, Mufasa, was overthrown and killed by his traitorous younger brother, Scar. But Mufasa's son, Simba, who had run away after his father's death as a cub, returned as an adult to take back the throne. He succeeded, and Scar fell to a fiery death. Simba became the new king of the Pride Lands, and he banished all of the hyenas who lived there, as there were followers of Scar.

But within days of Simba's homecoming, trouble was still within the Pride Lands. There were some lions that were loyal to Scar during his reign, and they were led by an evil lioness named Zira. She had it in her mind that Scar was the rightful king, and had chosen her youngest son to be the next king after him. But Simba knew that wasn't true, and Zira attacked him. Simba won easily, and he had no choice but to banish Zira and her family from the Pride Lands to the Outlands, along with the hyenas.

Time went by quickly, and within months, Simba's mate and the Queen of the Pride Lands, Nala, gave birth to twins: the eldest, a daughter named Kiara, who was to be the future queen after her father, and the youngest, a son named Kion, who eventually became the leader of the reinstated Lion Guard, restoring its former honor. It was a time of great celebration in the Pride Lands.

But within the years to come, a great threat would come to the Pride Lands. But it would be resolved by Simba's children. The princess would end it completely when her time comes, but the prince would keep it at bay from coming earlier. That, and he would fill a long-empty gap in the Circle of Life, one that deserves a new balance after so many years of bitter blood and competition. And it was to be found in a most unexpected way.

* * *

**A/N: Tell me something I don't know, right? Don't worry. Things will get interesting soon. I promise.**

**Until the first official chapter, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. And PLEASE don't bring my ship down when I'm trying to suck it up and make it float again. I'm still feeling something bubbling in me about that.**

**Got to fly! ;)**


	2. A Secret Friendship

Hearts Never Lie

**A/N: Here we go, with the first official chapter of this story. Roll it!**

Chapter 1

A Secret Friendship

Seven months later, the Pride Lands have been mostly at peace after King Simba took back the throne almost a year ago. Everyone seemed happy and content, as least as much as they could during the harshness of the dry season.

But near the barren canyons of the Outlands, wandering around alone, was a young lion cub; a male. He had pale golden fur with slightly darker spots on his ankles, a bright red mane tuft on his head, matching the tuft on his tail, and light amber eyes. This is Kion, the Prince of the Pride Lands, and the young leader of the Lion Guard.

Kion knew that his father would never let him go into the Outlands alone. But one time, he did, by accident. But there, he made a new friend, and a surprising one at that. That was the reason why Kion was wandering around the border by himself.

A rustling nearby in the tall dry grass caught the young cub's attention. He cautiously sniffed the air, trying to smell if there were any intruders in the area.

Suddenly, there was a familiar laugh echoing in the air, and before Kion could register it in his mind, he was tackled by a dark purple-gray blur.

A hyena. And a young female one at that, looking around his age. But she wasn't hurting the cub, just playfully pinning him to the ground.

"Surprised?" She asked with a giggle.

Kion just rolled his eyes with a smirk. "You wish, Jasiri." He said, pushing her off him.

Jasiri only giggled again as her best friend got back onto his paws. The story of how these two became friends is a very interesting one, to say the least.

A couple of months ago, Kion had gotten stuck in the Outlands. A mission gone awry. He told his friends in the Guard to meet him at Flat Ridge Rock, which sort of served as a crossing between the two lands. On his way there, he got lost and met Jasiri. At first, Kion had refused any help from the hyena, for obvious reasons. But when he got stuck and slightly sore from falling into a thorn bush, he reluctantly accepted her help after she freed from the thorns.

Needless to say, he was quite surprised that she had offered to help him, despite her sometimes non-serious behavior, which was kind of expected for a hyena. But soon, Jasiri taught him "sisi ni sawa", meaning that they're all the same deep down. That got Kion to truly understand that not everyone of a species is bad.

The two became best friends ever since then, helping each other out of some tough spots. Kion had helped her when Outsider lions were causing some problems, and when Jasiri and two young hyena pups from her clan were trapped in a steam vent. The only ones who know of their friendship were the other members of the Lion Guard and Jasiri's clan. Well, at least they're on the good side. But if Simba were to find out about his son's friendship with a hyena of all animals, being pleased was the last thing that he would be.

"How have things been?" Kion asked.

"Pretty well." Jasiri answered. "Everyone in my clan's okay."

Kion smiled as he remembered that Jasiri convinced her clan to form the Hyena Resistance to help the Lion Guard fight their enemies in the Outlands. It was meant to be a secret, but then, the bad guys found out. So now, the entire Resistance moved to a different location in the canyons to hide from them.

Kion had offered to find them a suitable hiding place in the Pride Lands, but Jasiri assured him that they'd be fine. After all, "kwetu ni kwetu", meaning "home is home." Since then, the Hyena Resistance has been safe from any enemies, but the visits between the two friends have been becoming fewer.

"How about here in the Pride Lands?" Jasiri asked him.

"Actually, things have been pretty quiet for a few days." Kion answered.

"That's surprising." Jasiri said. "In a good way, though."

"Yeah." Kion agreed. "To be honest, this is actually the most excitement that has happened in the past week."

"Wow! Fighting boredom much?" Jasiri asked rhetorically. "What about patrol with the Guard?"

"We already finished, and everyone's off doing their own thing." Kion answered.

"What about your family?"

He scoffed. "My sister is doing hunting lessons with my mom, and my dad hardly ever has time off these days."

Now Jasiri was starting to get a little annoyed with trying to help Kion with his boredom problem. "Why don't you join the hunting lesson with your sister?"

"Psssh. You're kidding, right?" Kion asked, lightly scoffing. "The last time I did that, Kiara couldn't go a foot without making noise, and then she got mad at me because I did a better job than her."

"Okay, that is a problem." The female hyena said, looking deep in thought.

Just then, an idea finally came to her head. "Well, how about you show me those hunting skills of yours?" She asked.

Kion raised a brow. "Why?"

Jasiri just shrugged, trying to act indifferent. "Well, it's just strange that you claim to be so good, yet I managed to sneak up on you a good number of times."

Kion glowered. "That's because I wasn't paying attention!" He defended.

Jasiri chuckled. "Okay then, how about you prove it?" She challenged him.

Kion smirked. "You're on."

The female hyena returned the playful smirk and then took off into the dry grass at a fast pace. Kion waited about five seconds before giving chase.

* * *

It had only been five minutes, and Kion could easily tell that Jasiri wasn't going easy on him. He stopped running and began sniffing the air and the ground, trying to see if he could get her scent.

Soon, he saw some footprints that led to a dry patch of tall grass. He lowered himself into a pouncing position, getting ready to strike. When he heard a rustle, he made his move. He quickly turned behind him and pounced.

"Gotcha!" Kion exclaimed, tackling a surprised Jasiri, and the two young animals rolled around in the tall bristly grass laughing until the lion cub had the hyena pup pinned down on the ground, on her back.

"How's that for hunting skills?" He asked with a smug smirk.

Jasiri was laughing uncontrollably as Kion began tickling her sides. "Okay, okay! You made your point!"

Kion laughed as he got off his friend, and Jasiri rolled onto her stomach, laughing as well. But then, the cub and pup heard someone calling the former's name.

"Kion!" Both Kion and Jasiri looked up to see Zazu flying above them.

"Stay down." Kion whispered to his friend. Jasiri just nodded silently and quickly crouched down to her haunches to try and hide better within the tall dry grass.

Zazu came down to land in front of Kion. "There you are." He said to the young lion prince. "I take it your patrol is finished."

Kion nodded. "Yeah, about an hour go." He said. "Things have been pretty quiet around here."

Zazu looked around the area. "Yes, it would seem so." He said. Kion felt his heart would jump out of his chest as he really hoped that the hornbill wouldn't discover Jasiri.

However, after a few tense seconds, Zazu faced the young cub again. "Your father is meaning to speak with you." He said.

Kion raised a brow. "What about?" He asked him. He hoped that he wasn't in trouble again.

"Oh, nothing too serious, I suppose." Zazu assured him.

"Okay." Kion said. "Tell my dad I'll be home soon."

"Very well, Kion." Zazu said, and he took off to the sky again.

Kion breathed a sigh of relief. He turned back to Jasiri as she got back to a normal standing position. "Sorry about that, but-"

"It's okay, Kion." Jasiri said, cutting him off before he started to ramble. "I understand."

Kion smiled bashfully at her. "I'll admit, I miss seeing you."

The hyena just smirked at his comment. "Aww, so you care." She cooed.

Kion playfully rolled his eyes at her. "I wish we can spend some more time together." He said.

Jasiri's teasing grin turned softer. "All joking aside, me too." She confessed.

Suddenly, Kion had an idea. "Hey, how about every month, we meet up at Flat Ridge Rock?"

Jasiri had her ears perked up in consideration. "Sounds promising." She said with a smile. "We can meet up at sunset on the nights when the moon is full."

Kion smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

Jasiri giggled again. "Are you really that eager to see me again?" She asked teasingly.

Kion scoffed playfully. "Don't push it." He replied in the same tone.

Both the lion and hyena laughed until Jasiri turned to leave. "Until then, Jasiri." Kion said.

"Until then, Kion." Jasiri replied softly. But then her gentle smile turned cheeky. "Or sooner if I have to help save your sorry tail!"

"Or yours!" Kion called back after her as she disappeared towards the Outlands. The lion cub stayed where he was for a few more seconds, staring in the direction his friend ran off. Then, he turned around and started towards his own home of Pride Rock.

* * *

And that was how every month, during the few nights when the moon was full, Kion and Jasiri would meet up and spend some time together. The only ones who knew about these little secret meetings were Jasiri's clan and the other members of the Lion Guard.

Kion couldn't tell his family about these meetings, knowing that his father would be furious, for sure. His mother might be a bit more understanding, but he felt too nervous to take that risk.

His sister, Kiara, was another story. Kion had once considered telling her, knowing that she had a similar experience with an Outsider back when they were younger. There's just one problem, she couldn't keep a secret even if her life depended on it.

But none of that really mattered. Whenever he would see the moon getting brighter and fatter by the night, Kion could feel a smile on his face.

Time flew by quickly, and the young lion and hyena were no longer a cub and pup. They were now adolescents, nearing complete maturity. Their meeting by the moon at the end of twilight was what both Kion and Jasiri looked forward to every month.

But neither of them could understand exactly why they would get so excited and giddy, knowing that they would see each other soon. And every time, they would accept that they're just excited to see one another again. Maybe a little bit too excited.

* * *

One sunset, Jasiri was waiting for Kion at their usual place at Flat Ridge Rock. The sun was almost down, and that lion still had yet to arrive. The hyena was starting to get a little worried.

_What if he got caught sneaking out? _She thought. _Or worse, what if he forgot?_ Then, she shook her head rapidly. _Whoa, there. Getting a little too worried, huh? If anything happened so that he couldn't make it, he'll let me know somehow._

Finally, she heard the soft padded paws that she'd come to recognize. "Sorry I'm late."

Something had triggered inside of Jasiri when she heard how deep and somehow enticing Kion's voice had gotten since the last time they met up. She turned around to face her friend, and her eyes really liked the animal that stood before her.

Kion had become quite a handsome young lion, his mane now larger and down to his nape, his shoulders more broad and his upper body slightly more muscular. He even seemed a few inches taller. But he still had the youthful and adventurous spark in his eyes.

Somehow, Kion lost all speech when he saw Jasiri. She had become a very pretty hyena. Her mane had grown past her shoulders and onto her back, and she was about his height, maybe even an inch shorter. But she still had that strong, confident posture that made her different from the other hyenas.

The two of them were silent as they just stared at each other, amethyst eyes lost in light gold. Finally, Jasiri broke the silence.

"Like what you see?" She asked him teasingly, shifting herself into a stance more suitable for viewing pleasure.

Kion slightly blushed at her implication, but then smirked coyly. "If I say 'yes', will you admit that you were doing the same?"

Jasiri felt her face heating up, but she was never one to turn down a challenge. "Maybe." She teased.

Then, Kion took a small, almost tentative step closer to her. "Then, yeah." He said softly. "You're much prettier than when I last saw you."

When did he get so charming? Jasiri thought, finding it harder to suppress her blush.

"But you're still the same sneaky and quirky hyena I know." Kion added, a wide and cheeky smile on his face.

Jasiri giggled at his little quip, kind of glad that he's trying to lighten up the mood, making Kion laugh as well. "Well, I'll say this, you're not too hard on the eyes, either. For such a crazy and knuckle-headed lion like yourself."

Both of them laughed as they each took a step closer to the other. But their little moment was cut short when they heard a voice.

"Kion!" Both lion and hyena immediately tensed up when they heard that. Instinctively, Jasiri leaped over the rock to hide, but this time, Kion followed her. Both of them were silent as they pressed up against the large rock in the narrow hiding place.

Jasiri was about to ask Kion why he was hiding instead of answering the voice like he usually does. However, she soon found out why.

"Kion?" The voice was feminine. And by the exasperated look on her friend's face, it was an unwelcome one.

From up above their hiding place, there were three young lionesses all looking about Kion's age. One of them was his older sister by five minutes, Kiara, and the other two were her best friends, Tiifu and Zuri. All three of them had grown into great beauties.

"Where did he go?" Zuri moaned. "And why does he like being near the Outlands?"

"I don't know." Kiara admitted. "But Zuri, as much as I love you like a sister, whoever Kion chooses is up to him."

"Come on, Kiara." Zuri said. "He's such a strong and handsome lion."

Hiding from view, Jasiri saw the annoyed look on Kion's face growing deeper at Zuri's swooning words.

"Look, I won't disagree with you about Kion." Tiifu spoke up, who was ever still the peacemaker. "But I have to agree with Kiara. It's really all up to him if he even wants a companion."

Zuri just grumbled under her breath. "But I will say this." Kiara said. "Whoever my brother chooses, she must be something else if she manages to catch his attention."

Tiifu giggled. "True." She said, knowing how thick-headed and dense the lion prince was when it came to matters of the heart.

The pale cream lioness then nudged Zuri. "Come on. Let's just head back home. It's almost dark."

Zuri groaned. "Fine." She hesitantly complied, disappointed that her little search for the handsome prince had to end fruitless.

The three lionesses soon left the area. Carefully, both Kion and Jasiri peeked over opposite sides of the rock that they were hiding behind to see if they were really gone.

Upon seeing that they were, both of them breathed out a sigh of pure relief. But then, when they turned back to face each other, they were practically touching nose to nose. Awkwardly, with faces hot and flushed, they backed away.

"Sorry." They said at the same time, embarrassed. Kion just chuckled lightly, staring fondly at his friend. Jasiri returned the gaze, giggling. At least they were trying to lighten up the mood again from that awkward moment earlier.

Then, the lion ascended up the rock, his hyena friend following him. They both sat at the top of it, admiring the last few moments of sunset transitioning to dusk.

Jasiri stole a glance at Kion. His light gold eyes seemed to glow brighter in the red hues of the sun. His fur looked like it was glowing as well. A gentle wind started to blow, softly ruffling his still developing mane, and his Mark of the Lion Guard on his left shoulder was in her view.

Kion caught her staring and smirked playfully. "See something you like?" He asked, turning the tables on her from earlier.

Jasiri rolled her eyes with an amused smile. "You goof, I already said that you're handsome."

Kion laughed. "I know. I was just teasing."

His friend just playfully shoved him, but didn't push him off the rock, and both of them laughed.

"And I wasn't lying when I said you were pretty." He continued.

Jasiri laughed again. "Charmer." She teased.

Both of them continued to laugh lightly as they once again fell into a comfortable silence, admiring the horizon as the sun faded into the background. Eyeing her friend beside her again, Jasiri decided to test something to find out what she was exactly feeling towards him.

Slowly, she scooted towards him. He caught what she was doing, so she stopped, looking down at her paws, her face flooding with intense heat. But then, he inched closer to her. She looked back up at him and the soft smile he was giving her made her cheeks heat up again, but this time, the warmth was much more gentle and welcoming. She returned the smile as she continued to scoot closer to him until they were sitting side by side closely.

Then, Jasiri started to carefully nuzzle under Kion's chin. The lion froze for a second, his heart pounding furiously. But then, he had a feeling that somehow, not only did this feel really nice, but right. Kion started returning the nuzzles down to her face, making Jasiri's heart leap with an unknown but joyous emotion.

The two of them just continued giving each other affectionate nuzzles as the first bright stars in the dark purple twilight sky started to appear above them. Whatever this feeling was, it felt wonderful, powerful, exhilarating, and most of all, right. Well, both of them had a slight idea as to what it was, but they needed further proof.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah. That's pretty fluffy. And it's only gonna increase in the next chapter before things get more interesting.**

**Well, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Until next time! Got to fly! ;)**


	3. A Secret Dream to Share

Hearts Never Lie

**A/N: Finally! I have finished this chapter. And I've been working on this thing for almost a month.**

**And just a quick disclaimer to everyone. If I want to include songs that aren't in the "Lion King" franchise, they will still be Disney songs; or at least anything that's Disney-related. I was a little bit hesitant to include any other songs besides those belonging to the universe of "The Lion King", but then I remembered that little "Beauty and the Beast" reference in the live-action remake of "The Lion King." That part made me laugh so hard, so I decided to try it out.**

**If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But I thought it did. So, maybe you guys will agree. If not, that's okay, too.**

**Anyway, let's get on with Chapter 2. Roll it!**

Chapter 2

A Secret Dream to Share

The night had just begun, and there was a gentle breeze blowing through the savannah. Kion and Jasiri were just walking side by side silently, away from unsuspecting eyes. It was quite nice out, and thankfully, there was no one around for miles.

Finally, Jasiri broke the silence. "So what excuse did you use to get out of your home this time?" She asked the teenage lion beside her.

"I told my parents that I was going to do a solo patrol, and won't be back until late tonight." Kion explained. "I'm just glad that my parents aren't that overprotective of me."

Jasiri giggled. "The fiercest animal in the Pride Lands has doting parents. That's cute."

Kion rolled his eyes at her comment, but there was a little smile on his face. "What about your clan?" He asked. "How's everyone doing?"

"They're doing well." She answered. "Tunu and Wema have grown up a bit, but they're still as rambunctious as ever."

Kion chuckled. "Those two always make me laugh." He said. The few times that he had visited Jasiri's clan over the years came back into his mind.

Tunu and Wema were always the most excited to see him out of the entire clan, besides Jasiri. Upon seeing that he wasn't a bad lion, and that he was a very good friend of Jasiri, they both warmed up to him pretty quickly. They would always beg him to play with them, and those little games would continue for a couple of hours before the lion had to return to the Pride Lands. Jasiri and her sister, Madoa, were very impressed that Kion could easily keep up with the hyperactive twins.

Jasiri briefly snickered at her friend's comment. "Yeah, they miss you, too." She said.

"Missing their favorite lion, huh?" Kion asked. But then he smirked at the pretty teenage hyena beside him. "What about you?"

Jasiri felt heat building up in her face when he asked that seemingly innocent question. But she still played it cool. "Of course I did, you goof." She said, playfully shoving his side.

Kion chuckled again, feeling his heartbeat accelerating at her action, almost like when they were cubs and she did a similar action that caught him off guard for a good few seconds. "All joking aside, I really missed you, too."

Jasiri just smiled softly at him. Now there was that feeling again, like from earlier at Flat Ridge Rock. It was new and unfamiliar, but at the same time, it's all she wanted to feel because it made her feel happy and secure.

The two of them continued to walk in a comfortable silence, side by side for a few more minutes. Occasionally, one of them would sneak a glance at the other, but when their eyes would meet, they would look away, their faces blushing.

Eventually, Kion stopped by a lake to catch a quick drink. Jasiri followed him, lapping up some water. But when both stopped, they looked down at their reflections and saw something interesting.

The reflections were kind of dark, even with the light of the full moon. Kion's left side looked like it wasn't there, as was Jasiri's right side.

The adolescent lion looked over at his hyena friend, and she returned the curious gaze. They both then looked back down at the halves of their reflections. Slowly, Kion scooted closer to Jasiri. Catching on, she met him halfway until their shoulders were touching. By now, the reflections have merged into one. Both of them were a little wide-eyed at the sight, but then, Jasiri smiled softly at the reflection.

_"Sisi ni sawa."_ She said quietly.

"We're the same." Kion added.

Both of them could sense that this was a deeper meaning of the phrase. They looked at each other as the words that were said repeated in their heads, light copper eyes meeting bright amethyst ones.

Then, Jasiri began nuzzling under Kion's chin. She could feel his heartbeat picking up as she did so. But soon, he started to nuzzle the top of her head. Eventually, the nuzzles came to their faces, and after a few more gentle rubs, they stopped, looking deep into the other's eyes.

Kion wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure of what. He knew that he did feel something around Jasiri ever since they met and helped each other. He did have a slight idea of what it might be, but he wasn't exactly sure if that's what it was. It did seem too strong of a word for right now, but what he did know was that his feelings for his friend extended beyond friendship.

She was his best friend, after Bunga of course, and they do make a really great team, effectively leading their individual groups in their different lands against a common foe. She always makes him smile, and she opened his eyes and mind to look beyond prejudice to see the heart inside. Because of that, she will always be someone special to him.

Slowly, he started to nuzzle the side of her face. She immediately returned the gesture until they pulled away, nose to nose. "Please tell me that I'm not the only one feeling this." Kion whispered as he took a small step back.

Jasiri shook her head, her violet eyes serious. "You're not." She said. "But you know as well as I do that this can't work." She added, her head down and eyes glued to the water.

Kion glowered slightly. It was true, for obvious reasons. One, he's a lion and she's a hyena. Two, his father hates hyenas. Three, every animal in their native lands hates their kind.

But ever since he got to know her back when they were younger, there had been a burning feeling in his gut about the unfairness of how certain animals were treated. Not all hyenas are bad, just like not all of one species are evil. If his own father could give Makuu's float another chance, why not the hyenas?

Well, he was never one for tradition. He had been told that ever since he was a young cub, ever since he reinstated the Lion Guard. And neither was Jasiri, since she was as determined as he is, if their first meeting was any indicator.

"It may be a challenge, but I'm willing to face it." Kion finally said. "If you want to as well."

Jasiri looked up at the crazy lion with wide eyes. As much as the idea sounded…nice, it was really risky, not to mention dangerous. It was hard enough to keep their friendship a secret from his homeland. But a possible stronger relationship? If they weren't careful, she'll have an angry king/papa lion on her tail. Not to mention the war with the Outlanders. True, she and the Hyena Resistance were spies working for the Lion Guard against them, but she was certain not even that would get through to everyone living in the Pride Lands.

But still, there was something telling her that she should go for this. She also had a little bit of an idea of what she was feeling towards Kion. But she knew it was too strong of a word to use right now. Yet, that same part of her was daring her to hope. She knew that whenever she needed some help, she knew that Kion would come to her aid. And she would do the same thing for him.

But then, she realized that she had been quiet for a bit too long, because Kion's eyes turned worried. "I understand if you think this is crazy." He said nervously. "And I know my dad is going to never let me go anywhere without an escort if he finds out about this."

Jasiri had to bite back a chuckle at how the usually confident and fierce leader of the Lion Guard was acting like a stammering teenage kitty cat. She then placed her small paw over his larger one.

"I could tell right away that you were never one for tradition." She said, making him stop. "I wasn't, either. Besides, you know that I'm never one to run from a challenge." There was a little smirk on her face when she said that. Kion recognized that grin as he returned it with one of his own.

"Besides, you have my back. Just like I'll always have yours." Jasiri finished.

"Yep." Kion answered, a bright smile on his face. "My dad's a stubborn lion, but I get that from him. And I won't back down easily."

Jasiri laughed as she lightly splashed Kion with some water. "I always wondered where you got that thick skull of yours from." She teased as she ran ahead of him.

Kion shook the water out of his fur and began following his hyena friend, a cheeky grin on his face. When he got closer to her, he sprinted ahead of her and jumped onto a large rock, beginning to sing.

_**Kion**: I know we might be crazy,_  
_But did you hear the story?_

The hyena slightly giggled at his words as she jumped onto the rock beside him and joined him in song.

_**Jasiri**: I think I heard it vaguely._

_**Kion**: A lion and hyena._

Then she jumped off the rock, turning back over to him with a cheeky smile on her face. Kion just returned it as he quickly followed her off of the rock and they began to run through the emptiness of the thankfully quiet savannah so that no one could see them.

_**Jasiri**: Oh, tell me more, boy._  
_Sounds like a fantasy._

_**Both**: Oh, what could go so wrong_  
_With a lion and hyena?_

Then, both of them stopped when they saw Pride Rock in the distance. Kion looked at it for a few seconds before they both turned towards the direction of the Outlands.

_**Kion**: I'm from the perfect paradise,_  
_And you're living on the darker side._

_**Jasiri**: Ooh, I've got a feeling_  
_If you get to know me,_

The teenage lion then gave his friend a sly little smirk as he lightly shoved her shoulder with his paw. But she saw through his little ruse as she rolled her eyes with a smile and just returned the playful shove. Then, they both began running again, smiling widely at the other.

_**Kion**: Right from the start, you caught my eye,_  
_And something inside me came to life._

_**Jasiri**: Ooh, I've got a feeling- _

_**Both**: If you get to know me: _  
_Someday,_

_**Jasiri**: This could be, this could be ordinary._

_**Both**: Someday,_

_**Jasiri**: Could we be something extraordinary?_

_**Kion**: You and me side by side,_

_**Both**: Out in the broad daylight._  
_If they laugh, we'll say,_  
_We're gonna be someday._  
_We're gonna be someday._

_**Jasiri**: Someday, someday._

_**Both**: We're gonna be someday._

_**Jasiri**: We're gonna be someday._

When they stopped running to catch their breath, the moon was shining down on them, highlighting each of their individual features in a silver glow. Kion did look very handsome in the pale light, his figure tall, strong and confident. But his eyes were always the key feature that drew her in. Jasiri didn't care if he was the most attractive living thing in the world, his eyes would always speak words untold between them. They spoke the true beauty of his soul, reflecting the strength, kindness and warmth he has to almost every creature he meets. And that made him the handsome lion that he is.

Kion had always noticed that Jasiri was different from the other hyenas that he had encountered in his life. But now, he truly saw why. Her posture was straight and confident unlike the others, her form sleek and slender, and her eyes were twinkling the bits of stardust shining down on her. And her smile had no evil sadistic curl to it, just playful mischief and kindness.

_**Kion**: Girl, you look delicious._  
_Oh, I mean gorgeous._

Jasiri giggled at his little slip-up, making him blush underneath his golden fur. She came over to him, giving him a sly little grin while her head was almost sliding under his chin. But then, she playfully shoved her shoulder into his. He didn't move very much due to him being much stronger than when he was a cub, but he still returned her snarky smile.

_**Jasiri**: Well, now you're getting fearless._

_**Kion**: No, I'm just rooting for us._

Then, both of them quickly raced ahead until they decided to skid to a stop, facing the other with the view of their homelands behind them.

_**Jasiri**: If different was a super power,_

_**Both**: We'd be so flawless._  
_Yeah, we could make these two worlds ours._  
_I'm rooting for us._

Kion then stepped closer towards Jasiri, a playful shine in his eyes as he walked past her, not knowing his tail had slid under her chin. Even though she kind of liked the supposedly flirtatious gesture he did, she shook her head fondly as she caught up with her friend, knowing that he can still be a bit thick in the head when it comes to matters like that. Besides, it was most likely an accident.

_**Kion**: Two lonely hearts meet in the dark._  
_Imagine it, now they start a spark._

_**Jasiri**: You got my attention._  
_What happens next, then?_

_**Kion**: No more secrets after dark,_  
_Hanging out anywhere we want._

_**Jasiri**: I like the way you're thinking._  
_I can almost see it._

Then the two of them started to chase one another throughout the savannah grasslands again. Once in a while, one of them would stop for the other to catch up, then they would resume the chase, still remaining a bit from the other's reach.

_**Both**: Someday,_

_**Jasiri**: This could be, this could be ordinary._

_**Both**: Someday,_

_**Jasiri**: Could we be something extraordinary?_

_**Kion**: You and me side by side,_

_**Both**: Out in the broad daylight._  
_If they laugh, we'll say,_  
_We're gonna be someday._

_**Jasiri**: Someday, someday._

Finally, Jasiri managed to tackle Kion down and pin him onto his back, both of them laughing and feeling like they were young cubs again as they rolled around in the savannah grass. They managed to calm down a bit when they stopped as they started nuzzling each other again as she started to sing, the possibility of them being together pounding in her mind, knowing that he was most likely thinking the same things that she was.

_So let them talk if they wanna._  
_Let them talk if they're gonna._  
_We're gonna do what we wanna._  
_Let them talk, let them talk_  
_If they wanna, they wanna._

This new hope that was starting to swell up in them at the thought of being with one another without any secrets was starting to quickly turn into a dream. It definitely wasn't going to be easy, but whatever challenge that they might face, they'll face it together to make this secret dream of theirs a reality, no matter what anyone else might think of them; saying or thinking that they were crazy, blind or just plain stupid. This wonderful, fantastic feeling whenever they were together was stronger than anything they ever felt before. And that is what will keep them going.

With one more nuzzle, Jasiri jumped off of Kion, tempting him to start chasing her with a twinkle in her eyes as she winked flirtatiously at him. He shook his head fondly at her with a cheeky smile as he quickly righted himself back on his paws and gave chase.

_**Both**: Someday,_

_**Jasiri**: This could be, this could be ordinary._

_**Both**: Someday,_

_**Jasiri**: Could we be something extraordinary?_

_**Kion**: You and me side by side,_

_**Both**: Out in the broad daylight._  
_If they laugh, we'll say,_  
_We're gonna be someday._

_**Jasiri**: Someday, someday._

_**Kion**: We're gonna be someday. (**Jasiri**: Someday, someday.)_  
_We're gonna be someday. (Someday, someday.)_  
_We're gonna be someday. (Someday, someday.)_

_**Both**: We're gonna be someday._

When they finished singing, they saw that they were back at Flat Ridge Rock. The moon was almost at its highest point in the starry night sky.

A look of sadness came into Kion's eyes. "Jasiri…" He began.

"I know, Kion." She cut him off. "But we still have a couple of more nights after this."

That brought a small smile to the teenage lion's face. "Yeah." He said.

"And one day, things will be different." She added, a tiny hopeful grin on her face. "No more hiding."

"No more secrets." He finished.

The two of them shared one more affectionate look and gently nuzzled each other's faces, their noses rubbing against each other. Then, Jasiri reluctantly left the rock and headed back into the shadows of the Outlands, taking a few glances back at Kion.

Kion stayed on the rock for a couple of extra minutes, even after she had long since vanished into the shadows of the canyons. "Someday." He breathed out quietly. Then he turned around and started to head back to his own home of Pride Rock.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, the song was "Someday", from "ZOMBIES." I really like this song, and I saw a video on YouTube that featured this song with pairing up Kion and Jasiri, so that was my inspiration for using this song. But I don't own it in any way or form.**

**Well, I hoped that using another Disney song worked okay here. If not, then I'll try to fix it up later.**

**I'll see y'all in the next chapter! Please leave a review about what you think.**

**Got to fly!**


	4. Hiding Euphoria

Hearts Never Lie

**A/N: Finally! I'm done with this chapter. If you guys are curious as to why this story takes so long, I'll explain. **

**Here's how this works; I usually write down the chapter in one of my many writing journals, and then I type it up on my laptop. But since my parents don't want me to be writing stories on Sunday, and I can't seem to stop writing wherever I am, no matter the time of day, I can only write this story on Sundays, when my parents can keep an eye on me and what I'm writing. But also, since Sunday is considered Family Day, I can't be writing on my own all day. And I can't think unless I have my tunes and I'm by myself. **

**But that's all my personal problems. I love my family, though. At least this chapter is done, and now, you guys can read it. So, let's get on with the long awaited Chapter 3. Roll it! **

Chapter 3

Hiding Euphoria

The next day, the royal family was getting ready for their day. Kiara had finished grooming herself and was about to leave when she saw that Kion was still sleeping at his usual spot near the entrance. The sight of her usually vigilant younger brother still snoozing peacefully puzzled her.

She quietly came over to him and nudged him lightly with her paw. "Kion?" She asked.

The teenage lion grunted slightly from her little push and drearily blinked open his eyes to look up at her. "Oh. Morning, Kiara." He yawned.

"Had a long night patrolling?" Kiara asked him.

Kion bit the inside of his cheek lightly, because of his sharp teeth, to keep himself from having a giddy grin form on his face. He stayed out a little longer last night because of Jasiri.

"Something like that." He answered. "Everything was pretty calm." He then stood up and shook his fur while stretching out his stiff limbs.

"Yeah, it's been pretty calm for the past few weeks." Kiara said, looking around the perimeter of Pride Rock. "Not that I'm complaining."

"I hear you." Kion agreed. "Well, I gotta go. Just because it's kind of quiet now doesn't mean that there's some kind of trouble somewhere."

Kiara nodded in understanding. "At least have something to eat first." She said, gesturing with her head inside the main cave. "We still have some zebra from last night's hunt."

Kion nodded at her, feeling his stomach beginning to rumble. "Okay." He said.

He went inside the cave and over to the large pile of meat that was there. He tore away a big enough piece for him and quickly ate it. The minute that he was done, he took off and out of the cave with a little sunny smile on his face.

"See ya later, Kiara." He called to his sister as he headed towards the Lion Guard Lair, quietly humming a tune under his breath.

Kiara smiled at her brother as he headed down the side of Pride Rock. She was happy that she and Kion were on better terms than when they were younger. But still, she had a feeling that Kion was hiding something. A few times every month, he would seem particularly excited about something, always watching the sky as it turned dark. What it was, she wasn't exactly sure.

* * *

Kion had entered the Lair with a giddy smile on his face, his eyes almost starry. He couldn't wait until nightfall to see Jasiri again.

"What's gotten you so happy?" A voice asked, making Kion jump. He turned to see the Guard looking at him curiously.

It was Fuli who asked him the question. She had grown into a very pretty cheetah, being as tall as Kion himself, her spots much darker and still as lithe and slender as expected for a teenage cheetah.

Kion looked almost like he was caught in a trap, but then quickly relaxed. The Guard knew about his meetings with Jasiri, but they did tease him about it from time to time, though it was mostly Bunga who did the teasing. But if they ever learned about their little promise they made last night, their teasing was going to get worse.

"I just…had a good time with Jasiri last night." He answered Fuli.

It technically was the truth, to an extent. But that moment that they shared was a little too personal to share for the moment. It was best to keep it to himself for now.

"And how good was it?" Bunga asked him, his eyebrows wiggling at his best friend.

Bunga was now up to Kion's shoulders, and his quills and claws were longer. He was also a bit more muscular on his upper arms.

Kion thankfully resisted the urge to blush and lightly jabbed his best friend in the stomach with his paw. "Just fine." He growled slightly at him before he headed over towards where Rafiki's paintings were.

"Don't tease him, Bunga." Beshte said to the honey badger. He had grown into a gentle giant, with a longer tuft of hair on his head. And he was still the biggest member of the Lion Guard. "He and Jasiri are close friends."

"Yeah, very close." Bunga continued to tease, making Kion tense up again, but the teenage lion still kept quiet with his back turned to his friends. The heat that was in his face was starting to make itself visible, but he took a couple of deep breaths to dispel the warmth.

"Knock it off, Bunga." Fuli said. "Remember, we have patrol, and we don't need to tease Kion. Unless you want the entire Pride Lands to know about Jasiri."

Bunga was silent for a few seconds. "Yeah, that's not a good idea." He said.

"Yeah." Fuli said. "So knock it off."

"I think he gets it, Fuli." Kion said, turning back towards them. "So, who's ready for patrol?"

"We're ready when you are, Kion." Ono answered. The egret was now taller, almost the same size as Bunga. But he wasn't changed very much, with just his legs and head feathers longer, though he was still very reliable.

Kion smiled at his team. "Then let's get going, Lion Guard." He said. With that, the Guard left the Lair to patrol the Pride Lands.

* * *

Deep within the dry canyonlands of the Outlands, Jasiri was already up for the day and was now patrolling her clan's territory for any intruders. Ever since their enemies had discovered them and of their alliance with the Lion Guard, they had to be extra cautious to make sure that they weren't found again.

Her older sister, Madoa, was with her, helping to patrol the area. She looked somewhat similar to Jasiri, except her fur and mane had no purple tints in them, and her eyes were soft and brown.

Madoa curiously eyed Jasiri walking next to her. She seemed quite happy today, not that she was complaining. She always seemed so sunny during the couple of days when the moon was at its fullest in the night. Most likely, because of Kion and that she would see him.

But this time, Jasiri seemed to be smiling a bit more than usual. Not the trademark mischievous smirk she would give when she is teasing or challenging someone, but a more genuine, gentle grin. And she was even humming a cheerful tune under her breath. It seemed that last night's visit was much more pleasant than usual if she was acting like this.

"You seem happy today." Madoa said, getting her sister's attention.

Jasiri briefly stopped in her tracks at her sister's words, her humming having been paused. "I just…had a good time with Kion last night." She answered truthfully.

"Huh." Madoa mused, not sure if that was the whole story. "How good was it?" She asked.

Jasiri felt her face growing warm, but she still managed to keep a neutral look. "It was good." She replied, a slight bite to her tone. "I just miss him a lot through the month when the moon's not full."

Madoa still wasn't convinced about her sister's answer, but didn't press on further. "Okay." She said simply. "Are you meeting him again tonight?"

"Yeah. The full moon lasts about three nights." Jasiri replied. "Hopefully, we can one day figure out a plan to bring peace between the Pride Lands and the Outlands, once and for all. It's the least we could do for the Lion Guard since they've done so much for us."

Madoa still had a feeling that there was some other reason to end this war for her sister, but she didn't press any further on the subject because she knew that her sister would just continue to deny or avoid the question. She also hoped that the war would come to an end soon, and that the Outlands and Pride Lands would rest easy.

* * *

Later that very night, in the nightly shadows of the Pride Lands, after a day of avoiding any questions from their friends and families, Kion and Jasiri were just past the border of Flat Ridge Rock, nuzzling each other, basking in their newly discovered feelings for each other. They didn't speak for a while, for their smiles spoke for them when they saw each other.

Soon, the nuzzles paused as they both began to discuss some ideas on how to end the war that inflicts the Pride Lands and the Outlands.

"We can't wait for the army to attack again." Kion said. "And I really don't want the Hyena Resistance to go on another reconnaissance mission. It's too risky."

"Don't worry about us, tough guy." Jasiri assured him with a little nuzzle under his chin. "We can hold our own."

Kion returned the nuzzle. "I know." He said.

They soon broke the nuzzle. "But you do have a point." She said. "We can't keep waiting for them to attack us."

Kion nodded. "We would be giving them what they want." He added.

Jasiri then thought of something. "Then maybe, we should make the first move for a change." She suggested.

Kion paused. "Invade?" He asked her. "I'm not sure about that."

"I know how you feel about this, Kion." Jasiri said. "But it does look like we're running out of options."

"But we don't know how we can beat _him_ for good." Kion answered back doubtfully. "I don't know if he even can be beat."

"Kion." Jasiri said, cutting him off. "I may not know how to answer that, but I do know that you did many things that seemed crazy or impossible because you stayed true to yourself. Maybe soon, if you know who to turn to, you can find a way to defeat him for good."

Kion looked at her with surprise, touched that she believed in him so strongly. He gently nuzzled her, and she returned it.

"When did you have this kind of faith?" He asked.

"Well, when you hang out with an annoyingly optimistic lion a lot, you get to be a bit like said lion." She answered teasingly.

Both of them chuckled as they continued to nuzzle each other affectionately, and they once again fell into a comfortable silence. But soon, they saw that the moon was beginning to descend from its highest point in the sky. They shared a brief sad look, knowing that their time was up.

"Someday, this will end for good." Jasiri said softly. "And then, no more hiding."

Kion nodded, and nuzzled her face gently. "No more hiding." He repeated.

Jasiri returned the nuzzle, though she wished that she could stay longer with him. After a few more seconds of affectionate nuzzling, they broke away.

"See you tomorrow." Kion said to her.

"Tomorrow." Jasiri answered back fondly.

Then, she took off back towards the Outlands, Kion longingly watching her as she did so. When she was out of sight, he turned around and headed back to Pride Rock in the distance.

But what they didn't know was that they were being watched. Two colorful little skinks; one of them red and black, and the other pale orange and blue, had seen the entire thing from a nearby tree, and they looked at each other with pure shock at the interaction between the teenaged lion and hyena. It seems that their master would definitely want to hear about this.

Without a word, they got off the tree they were listening from, and quietly and quickly skittered off towards the volcano deep in the Outlands.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah. Now from here on, it's where things are going to get...maybe not necessarily complicated, but definitely interesting, to put it lightly. Their secret won't be a secret for long. **

**Well, hopefully I won't take so long for the next chapter. But no promises, since I have lots of other projects, I'll be starting college classes online pretty soon, and of course, you never know what life is going to throw at you. Especially because of COVID-19. **

**I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think, and keep healthy. **

**Got to fly! ;)**


End file.
